For the first time this season, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady managed to make it through a game without being sacked.
That might be a reason for celebration, given that the Patriots quarterback was on a pace to be sacked 51 times this year entering the 24-17 victory against the New York Jets. That pace is now down to 42 – still not great, but it is an improvement.
“We’ve been working real hard on it from the very beginning,” left tackle Nate Solder said Monday at Gillette Stadium. “That’s going to be an area of emphasis. It’s going to be something we’re going to continue work at and it’s going to be how we execute against tough opponents going forward.”
The improvement is much appreciated by Brady who has been one of the least-sacked quarterbacks in the league throughout his career, holding an average of 24.5 per year over 17 seasons. He was sacked 41 times in 2001, his first year as a starter, 40 times in 2013, and 38 times two years ago before Dante Scarnecchia returned from retirement to coach up the big boys. Brady was sacked just 15 times over 12 regular-season games last year.
One game shy of trying a team record
The Patriots have now won 11 straight games on the road, which is one shy of the franchise record set from Dec. 24, 2006, through Oct. 5, 2008. That 12-game road winning streak is also second in league history to the San Francisco 49ers’ record of 18, set in 1988-90.
Update on Langi
New England Patriots linebacker Harvey Langi and his wife, Cassidy, were reunited in the hospital three days after their car accident in Foxborough Tuesday, according to a video from Cassidy’s Instagram account. Langi missed Sunday’s game against the Jets, and looks as though he will be out for the near future at the very least as well. Bill Belichick and the Patriots have each issued statements hoping for Harvey and Cassidy to each recover quickly.
Brady holds another record
Tom Brady set the NFL record for regular-season victories by a quarterback, getting his 187th as the New England Patriots held on for a 24-17 win over the New York Jets on Sunday to claim first place in the AFC East, Brady will look to continue to pad on the stats when the team face the Atlanta Falcons for a Super Bowl rematch
